Indicator



June V9, 1925.

A. L. SOHM INDICATOR Filed ot. 2. 1924 Snowdon @Wai 5072172/j A uw@ Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALFRED L. SOHM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. V

INDICATOR.

Application led October 2, 1924. Serial No. 741,291.

To all whom 'it may concern: n

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. SoHM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and AState of Illinois, have invented certain new and use- .iul Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to indicators 'and more particularly to a pressure operated device adapted for use in connection with the cooling system of a motor vehicle to indicate the presence of iiuid pressures due to abnormal thermal conditions of the engine. In a copending application Serial No. 664,985, filed September 26, 1923, I have shown and described an indicating device employing a cylinder having a piston mounted therein and adapted to be moved by fluid pressure within an automobile radiator to providea warning signal when pressure is present within the radiator of the automobile. A diaphragm is provided beneath the piston and has avalve seat therein adapted to be closedby a float valve to prevent water from flowing upwardly into the cylinder under certain conditions, from whence it is blown outwardly through the whistle employed as an audible indicator.

With the construction' shown and described in my copending application it has been iound that under certain conditions the operation of the float valve is not instantaneous and occasionally water from the radiator finds its way to the atmosphere through the whistle before the float valve is properly seated. Itis an important object ofthe present invention to provide an improved structure whereby closing of the float valve is greatly accelerated andloss of-water minimized. y n f Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentduring the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view through the device applied to an automobile radiator, parts being shown in ele- `ration, and,` d g Figure .2 is a detail perspective view of the floatvalve and associated elements.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates an automobile radiator of the usual type adapted to contain the cooling fluid and provided with the usual overiow Hui d matter from finding its of the cylinder to be described.

pipe 11, provided in the present instance with a spring controlled check valve 12.

The check valve `12 is adapted to openat a predetermined pressure and fluid escaping therefrom is adapted to operate a whistle or other audible signal 13. The radiator is Aprovided with the usual hlling'opening 14 threaded to receive the usual cap. n n

In the present instance I have shown a which is externally cap 15 having a dependingsleeve 16 threaded for engagement with the threads of the iillingopening and provided with hollow arms 17 which operate asV condensers for vapors from the radiator. The cap 15 is provided with a top 1S having a central opening `for a purpose to be described.

The indicator is 'provided with a base 19 adapted to restupon the topV 18 of the filler capand has a depending sleeve 2O extending through the opening inthe top of the filler cap. A nut 21 is arrangedon the sleeve 2O for securing Vthe base 19 in" position. A strainer 22 is arranged onthe lower end of the sleeve -to prevent dirt or other foreign way into the interior vThe numeral 23 designates a pressure chamber formed in thepresent instance as a cylinder having an annular passage 211 formed in its outer face which is surounded by'a jacket 25 to form a condensing chamber. The chamber 24 communicates with the interior of the cylinder 23 through open-V ings 26. The `cylinder 23 is provided with a top 27 preferably colored red to provide a visible signalto be described, andthe top is provided with a central axial opening.,

, A piston 28 is arranged to reciprocate within the cylinder 23 and is provided with a vertically extending` hollow piston rod 29 provided with an opening 30 above the piston to provide communication between the interiors of the'piston rod 29 and cylinder 23. The piston rod is closed `at its lower end by a plug 31 and is provided intermediate its endswith a shoulder 32 adapted to engage the underside of the top 27 V.to limit the upward movement of the piston. A spring 33 surrounds the piston rod 29 and is adapted to engage the under side'of the top 27 to resiliently oppose upward movement of the piston as the `latter approaches its upper limit. The inner cylinder wall is provided with a groove or by-pass 311 which is slightly-greater in height than the thickness of the piston 28 and is .adapted to ,aflitord communication between .oppositexends ot the cylinder when the piston is at the upper limit otl its movement. A whistle is mounted upon the piston rod 29 and 'is adapted to be'operated by 'tluid pressure therefrom. The whistle is covered by a cap 36 secured to the piston rod bya spider 37. In the normal position ot the devite zshown iin `Figure l, the lower edges of the cap 36 are adapted to whollycover the col- `ered top 2 7 of :the cylinder.

A diaphragm -38 is mounted within ,the cylinder just ,below the openings 26 and .this diaphragm is provided with -a pluralJ .ity ojt small stampednp portions 3.9adapted to support the piston 28 :to provide i slight space between the piston `and diaphragm when the former is in its lower position. The diaphragm A38 is provided with -a central yaglve rseat .l0 aiording coinniuiiication between the interior of the 'cylvinder and the space below the diaphragm.`

A basket il is arranged vwithin and near the bottoinot the base i9 v.as shown in F igure l, 'The basket il is formed vsubstantially :as a disk having a plurality of upstanding ,arms 4211s shown in rF-,igure 2. yEhe basket is riveted or otherwise Vsecured 4V-to a plugt ywhich .has va driving tit within the sleeve 2 0 and Ais preferably polygonal .in shape to :permit fluid in vthe rsleeve r2() :to low upwardly into the linterior of the base. The edges .of the basket il are preferably slightly spaced ffii-oni the sides Vot the `ibase so as not to :interfere with the passage of fluid into the base. A Heat ifi is arranged l.with-in'the basket All .as sl'iown in Figure -1 and is provided .with knob .or rounded portion l5 forming -a vvalve yadapted to engage the seat d0. It will be obvious that the upstanding aiinsl2 yareadapted to serre as guides 'for the valve tl to insure the pro-per seating of the extension within the seat 40. The `float il is prefer-,ably .tori-ned of vvv eny thin sheet `metal so as to be highly buoyant when water flows iupwardly .into the A.base under conditions to be described. Whenthe float is so formed it :has been 'found vthat the bottom f tgheifeo't oftenbeconies slightly concave as (shown .in Figure ll. The loat tl is ladopted -to be supported upon projections :46 formed upon the/'basket il Vto .allow water to flow freely under .the .iloat when the water is present within the base `and it will be seen that the .concavity of the lower wall of .the ijloat ipnovides considerable space` therebenealih which sometimes ,renders action oit the valve somewhat sluggish.

As shown in Figures il ,and2 the numeral 47 designates a .dash plate as a whole coin prising .an outer horizontal flange 48 and an inner angular flange t9 which surrounds .the arms l2 i-n close proximity thereto.

erating conditions .the .water within the .ra-

diator'n'iay become overheated :and fthus cre- ;ate .fluid ,pressure within .the `riadiator which :is ,communicated to `the `interiorvot l'the cylinder 23 beneath the piston 2S. Un-

der this conditionfthe piston will risecarrying with it the .cap 36, :uncovering the .top 27 of the cylinder and providing a visible winning vsigna'lto 'the operator. It .the

.pressure continues to increase vthe piston will be lmoved upwardly until the `shoulder E32 contacts with the lower :face et the .top Z7 whereupon :communication .between yopposite ends ot :the cylinder will be established through the `byfpass B4. Fluid will then ilow through the opening` 30,'into1the piston :rod E29 and upwardly to .operate the audible signal 3:5 thus providing an .audible .warning to the automobile operatoiz lt' willbe obvious `that-vapors or .steam .may

'flow aipwardly into the cylinder uniinpeded under normal conditions, the float reina-inrving in the normal -position shown in :Fig- -ure l. It the operator of ,the vehicle substantially/'fills the radiator while-the motor and water are cold, the water will expand materially after the engine has been in operation 'for sometime and this water Kwill flow aipwaizdly into the interior et the base 1). 'It thas been found tha-tothe coiicavity el the bottom ot the :float All .sometimes acts as an air pocket and when -water flows upwardly around Xtlie heat, :the flatter does `not y,iruinedlately Iibeeoine .buoyant :due to :the

slight vaeuunirreated within the air pocket and Vsome of the `water flows upwardly into the interior of the lcylinder before the valve is seated. .This water vis sometimes blown outwardly through thewhistle und spatters the hood and windshield of .the vehicle. By providing ,the splash pla-te =l7 I have found y.that"upward lloiwiiigot ythe water around the float is retarded and the water redirected toward the float lto ycreate suilicient pressure thereagaiinst to breait the slight vacuum created `beneatli'the bottom y,of the float thus .causing ,the latter ,to rise instantaneously and close ycoininunication between the interior of the base andthe cylinder. Ehen the -valve l5 is properly seated, continued expansion o;l` the water will open ithecheck valve 12 and permit the ex- ,cess v,waterqto ormoutwardly through the whistlelfl. It also will be obvious that au .increase in pressure beyond that .at which the whistle 35 is sounded will open the cheek valve 13 and blow outwardly through the whistle 13 providing a supplementary audible signal.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. The combination with a radiator of a motor vehicle, of a fluid pressure operated signal adapted to indicate abnormal conditions within the radiator, said signal including a valve seat adapted to afford communication between the radiator and said signal a valve chamber arranged below said seat, a float valve arranged in said chamber and adapted to engage said seat, and means surrounding said float within said chamber for directing water surrounding said float inwardly thereagainst.

2. The combination with a radiator of a motor vehicle, of a member divided by a partition to form upper and lower chambers, said partition being provided with a valve seat normally aifording communication between said chambers, a signal adapted to be operated by a predetermined increase in pressure in said upper chamber, said lower chamber communicating with the interior of the radiator, a float valve mounted in said lower chamber and adapted to engage said seat, and an annular plate surrounding said valve and slightly spaced therefrom.

3. A device constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the portion of said plate adjacent said valve slopes downwardly toward said valve.

4;. 'The combination with the radiator of a motor vehicle,'of a pressure chamber, a signal adapted to be operated upon a pref determined pressure in said chamber, a hollow base arranged beneath said chamber and communicating with the radiator, a member a ranged between said base and said chamber and forming a substantial closure for the lower end of said chamber, said member being provided with a valve seat adapted to all'ord communication between said chamber and said base, a float valve arranged in said base and adapted to engage said seat, and a splash plate secured between said base and said chamber and surrounding said float in close proximity thereto, the portion of said plate adjacent said valveV being sloped downwardly and inwardly toward said valve.

n testin'ionywhereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED L. SOHM. iiitnesses CHARLES UrLneenR, T. WV. JUsUP. 

